Beef on a bun kickoff beats last year’s total
By Jonathan Fehr and Doug Collie
Daily News staff

The sixth annual Beef on a Bun Kickoff for the Empty Stocking Fund Thursday raised more than $2,000, roughly $500 more than the $1,520 raised last year, according to organizer Bill Hall. Hall is executive director of the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre (the local food bank) and pastor for the Worldwide Church of God and.

The event was held at the United Church. Participants paid $6 for beef-on-a-bun, salad, a drink and dessert. Or, they could pay $5 with the donation of a non-perishable food item. Some people donated a couple of those items. Others even threw in the occasional unwrapped Christmas gift.

Surprisingly, the extra money raised this year doesn’t appear to have been a result of more people coming out this year. Last year, organizers provided about 200 meals (sit-down and take-out) and they provided about 220 this year.

The key to the increase, Hall says, is that several people gave far more than the cost of the meals.

“They gave us a $20, or they’d buy one meal and give us a 10,” he said, noting organizers reaped an average of $9.30 per plate.

“Last year there were over 200 people and I imagine today was even better because of the weather,” he said with a smile.

The Empty Stocking Fund is a program which is set up to help needy families in the Battlefords during the Christmas holidays. The organization provides the selected needy families with a Christmas hamper, a Christmas meal, and one toy for every child under 16.

The beef, cake and buns for Thursday’s kickoff were donated by Super A Foods in Battleford, “so everything we earn goes right into the Empty Stocking Fund,” Hall explained.

“It’s more public awareness than anything, so that people know it’s time to give to Empty Stocking Fund. We’ll be taking up applications for needy families a week from now, and we usually help about 350 families in the Battlefords,” Hall said.

“We’re also the food bank so whatever we don’t use at Christmas we can use all through the seasons cause it’s not just (at) Christmas that people need help. We have our regular food bank that operates all the time,” Hall added.

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